Wiley Accounting
Weekly Updates

Discussion Topics for Today's Classroom

Taking on Airbnb

Description: An Alberta resident, David Jackel, has taken on Airbnb and won. Jackel had planned a Mexican holiday that included five weeks at a condo rented through Airbnb. But even though he had arranged the rental six months before his vacation, with just a scant three days to go before check-in, the online giant pulled the plug on the reservation. They did offer a couple of other properties, but neither were what Jackel was after. Jackel booked other lodging, leaving him about $6,400 over budget for his dream trip. After months of back and forth between the company and Mr. Jackel, Marketplace, a CBC consumer affairs program, put in a call to Airbnb on his behalf. Within a very short time, Jackel received good news that a refund was on the way.

1) Have you ever faced a last-minute cancellation from Airbnb or a similar service? What happened?

2) In this situation we saw a refund shortly after the CBC Marketplace program made the inquiry. Do you think the two events are related?

3) Chapter 9 In Wiley’s Financial Accounting: Tools for Business Decision-Making talks about the value of a trademark like Airbnb. Do you think the Marketplace publicity could impact the trademark’s value?